The Queen Bee of Bridgeton (25 page)

"Will, please stop," I pleaded.  I didn't want to hear him go on about how much he hated me.  It just made my already miserable day even worse.

"No, I have to say this." His deep voice resonated powerfully in the small space.  "I couldn't understand how you could do that, not you, not my angel. Then I realized something.  You wouldn't do that."  My heart skipped a beat.  He knew it wasn't me.  "So then I started to refuse to believe what my eyes had clearly shown me," he continued still pacing. His long stride covered the length of my living room in almost one step. "I knew in my heart that you wouldn't do that so I set out to prove it.  I had to work on getting someone to admit what they had done. I knew befriending David wouldn't work.  No one would believe that I'd ever talk to that guy, so I decided to work on Ashley.  I asked her out and we started dating again.  It took three weeks, a lot of coaxing, and even more alcohol, but it worked.  I got a full confession on tape."

"What?" I said, leaping up from the couch.  Will thought he was helping, but he was making the situation worse.

"I gave it to Headmaster Collins this morning. He knows it was Sasha not you.  He knows they set you up."

"Oh no, Will, no.  Sasha will get expelled.  She has to go to Princeton. She can't get expelled."  I cried.  Will grabbed me and held me in his strong arms. 
The arms that I missed and needed so desperately.
  I buried my face in his chest and just drank in his scent.  I had dreamt about him holding me for a month and now his arms finally embraced me, but he was ruining everything.  He was getting Sasha expelled.

"I'm glad you know it wasn't me, but we can't tell Headmaster Collins.  I want to take the blame for her.  She has taken care of me all these years and now it's my turn to repay her."

"You have to stop trying to protect her," he whispered into my hair.

"She's my sister. I'll do anything for her."

"There's something you need to know," he said as he pulled away from me and sat with me on that disgusting couch.  "Sasha was in on it."

"What?" I leapt from the couch.

"She set you up," he said gently easing me back down.

"She wouldn't do that to me."

"Yes, she would.  She has everyone fooled into thinking she's this saint-like genius when she's really a vicious opportunistic manipulator.  She is the brains behind David's cheating network.  That's how she earns extra money."

"Will, don't say that," I pleaded.  The Bitch Brigade had struck again.  Ashley had obviously turned Will against my sister and she was trying to do the same to me.

"It's true.  I know the whole story.  Sasha is the Queen Bee. She’s the leader of the Bitch Brigade.  She has been using them and everyone around her to get what she wants.  Remember Leila Baker the girl who had to transfer schools last year?"  I nodded. "Sasha put the Bitch Brigade up to what they did to her.  She was considering running against Sasha for student body president and she actually had a chance of beating her.  And you know how Sasha is always studying and writing papers and stuff?  Well, people go to David and tell him what assignment they need and Sasha does the work.  She has written papers for probably half the population of Bridgeton."

"But why would she set me up?  I never competed with her for anything."

"Listen," Will
began
to explain gently trying to take into consideration my feelings, "remember that note you found on your door?"

How could I forget? Those words were forever etched into my mind.

We don't know who you think you are. But anyone who lives in this hell hole isn't worthy of Bridgeton. Do what we say or you're
gonna
pay. - The Bitch Brigade

"Well, the note wasn't for you. It was for Sasha. They were sick of taking orders from her. But Sasha is not so easy to take down. She's got too much dirt on them. So, instead, they focused on you. She was legitimately pissed at them for attacking you.  She had always made it clear that you were off limits. She wanted to expose them, but they rallied against her and threatened to reveal the cheating network that she had developed with David.  Sasha couldn't let that happen. She knew she would get expelled and
lose
her chance at Princeton. The only way they agreed to not go after Sasha is if she helped them go after you. They made up that phony video and the phony Spanish test story. That's why they had to say it was a Spanish test.  Spanish is the only class you have with seniors.  Sasha knew that even if the evidence against you wasn't enough, that you would confess in order to save your beloved, precious sister."

I shook my head denying Will's words even though they really made sense.

"It's not possible.  You have to call Headmaster Collins right now and tell him that you made a mistake."  I tried to stand up, but Will pulled me back down to the couch.

"Look, how could David have thought it was you? If he really couldn't tell you two apart, how'd he know which one of you he gave the answers to?  And then how would he know who to blackmail for that matter? And if he could tell you apart what was his motive for going after you and not everyone else he helped cheat? His story doesn't make any sense.  He had to be in on it."

I kept shaking my head in protest. I didn't want to believe this about my sister.

"I know this is hard for you to believe, but it's the truth." Will knelt on the floor, held both my hands to his heart and with tears in his eyes said, "I wouldn't lie to you.  I love you, Sony.  You have no idea how much I love you."

"I love you, too," I said as I began sobbing uncontrollably.  I didn't know whether I cried tears of joy because Will loved me again or tears of sadness because my sister was a fraud. But when he kissed me, it was clear as day what the tears represented.  I didn't realize exactly how much I missed him until he placed his lips on mine.  A wave of emotion overtook me.

"I missed you so much," he said, wiping the tears from my face.  "I'm sorry I wasn't there for you all this time.  I missed your audition, didn't I?" he asked as he took a look at my outfit for the first time.  "How did you do?" he added.  Mentioning the audition turned my tears of joy that I had Will back into tears of agony that I wasn't accepted into the
DiRisio
Academy.

"I didn't make it," I blubbered.  "They saw the honor violation on my record." 

Will
held
me in his strong arms.  Then he kissed my forehead, my checks, my eyelids, every inch of my face as if he was a blind man trying to discover me with his lips.  "We need to go see Headmaster Collins," he said after he had again focused on my mouth for a moment.  "That's why I'm really here.  He wants to talk to you.  He tried calling but your phone is disconnected.  I told him I'd come get you. Maybe he can help."

"Truth
be
told, I'm glad it wasn't you," Headmaster Collins said after telling me everything he had learned about Sasha.

"Sir?"
I asked, only half listening to what he told me.  I really didn't want to hear about all the awful things my sister had done. 

"I said
,
I'm glad it wasn't you.  Ever since the first time I met you I knew there was something different about you.  I ask every potential student the same question:  'Why do you belong at Bridgeton?'  You are the only one in 17 years to say that you didn't belong.  You gave the most honest answer anyone has ever given to that question.  That's why I wanted you to be a part of this school.  I knew from that response that you had integrity."  I had to think hard to remember what I had said on that day. I didn't realize that it had affected him so much.

"Your sister, Sasha, was an amazing student with perhaps a flawless resume, but, to me, she had no substance, no soul.  I've had my suspicions about her for some time.  Of the two, you were always my favorite. I know I'm not supposed to pick favorites, but you are one of my favorite students in this entire school."  For the first time Headmaster Collins seemed human to me.  I couldn't believe that he liked me more than Sasha.  It was comforting to hear.  But my comfort level quickly diminished as he went back to his colonel tone, cracked his knuckles and said, "I know you come from a poor background and that you and Sasha had a difficult childhood. But is that basis enough to lie to me and the entire Bridgeton community?"

"I guess, at the time, I really didn't think of it as lying." I stared at my hands and played with my thumbs.  "I just wanted to help my sister.  She's the smart one, the one with the potential for a bright future.  I thought her future was more important than mine."

Headmaster Collins sighed and said, "I hope one day you recognize what a remarkable individual you are. You have just as much potential as your sister.  If anything, you have more because you're such a decent and unique person."  He sighed again and shook his head. "I understand what you did for your sister.  A part of me even admires you for it.  It was brave.  You sacrificed yourself for her.  Unfortunately, lying, even for good reason, is still lying and I will not be able to accept you back into Bridgeton."

I nodded sheepishly still staring at my thumbs.  Headmaster Collins' unwillingness to readmit me wasn't that much of a shock.  I never even considered the possibility of returning to Bridgeton.  My mind still ached over the death blow given to my dance career by not being accepted to
DiRisio
.

"Mr. Maddox tells me you auditioned for The
DiRisio
Academy of Dance this morning."  I nodded.  "How did that go?"

I swallowed hard and said, "They complimented my talent, but disqualified me because of the honor violation."  My voice was a hoarse whisper. I held back tears not wanting to cry in front of Headmaster Collins. I'd cried enough.

"Well that hardly seems fair. I think you've been through enough.  Let me see what I can do." I looked up into Headmaster Collins' eyes.  They had their normal intimidating intensity, but now, they also showed a sincerity that seemed almost…kind.  For the first time that day, I felt a glimmer of security in my future.  Somehow I knew Headmaster Collins could help with
DiRisio
.

"What did he say?
What's
gonna
happen?" Will asked when I emerged from Headmaster Collins' office.

"He's
gonna
try to get me into
DiRisio
." I said as I sought the comfort of his embrace.

"That's awesome.  Why aren't you more excited?"

"Nothing's final yet.  He just said he'd see what he can do."

"Well, it's as good as done then.  Can you imagine anyone saying 'no' to Headmaster Collins?" Will smiled, trying to lighten my mood. And he did somewhat.  I'd forgotten what a beautiful smile he had and how his blue eyes danced with delight whenever he looked at me. "Let me take you to dinner.  We can talk about Rome and make plans." I couldn't help but smile at Will's optimism.

"I love you," I said after kissing him. "I love that you care about me so much that you went through all this trouble to prove my innocence. I love how you have no doubt that I'll eventually make it into
DiRisio
. I love how you make me feel about myself. I love all you've done for me. But, Will, I need some time to sort through all this stuff in my head.  I need to find my sister and talk to her.  Maybe she has a good reason for what she did to me. Maybe -"